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Boat owners should consider buying insurance even though it is not required by most states, write Wayne and Joan Church in the News-Press. A typical boat owner's policy covers the boat and equipment permanently attached to the boat, and most policies include a stated amount of liability coverage, they note. Discounts are often available after a boat owner attends safety courses.

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Massachusetts can't afford to pay for Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious spending programs in light of a $1.3 billion budget deficit, Lovett C. Peters writes in a Boston Globe commentary. Even if proposed casino revenue kicks in, the state will not be able to cover the costs of proposed programs, which range from property-tax relief to funding for higher education. "What about cutting costs?" Peters asks before offering some proposals of his own.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation has voted to cut the group-rating discount to 85% as of July 1. The board cited concerns that companies who no longer receive the discount face steep rate increases.

Many people who do not have renters insurance do not realize how exposed they are, experts say. Nearly two-thirds of renters do not carry renters' insurance, according to a recent study. However, DOJ statistics show that rental dwellings are burglarized at a rate 79% higher than owner-occupied dwellings.

Officials in Helena, Mont., are considering new building codes to outlaw wooden material in roofs as the city faces the threat of embers drifting through the city if a wildfire occurred in nearby hills. Plans being proposed would either require flame-resistant shingles citywide or impose the rule in only part of the city.

Homeowners still feel the effect that Hurricane Andrew had on the insurance industry 15 years after the storm hit Florida. Insurers paid out more than $22 billion in claims, and began rewriting policies to protect themselves from heavy losses. "If you're being overly generous in covering risks and you're not taking in sufficient premium, it doesn't make business sense," Lloyd's of London CEO Richard Ward said.